In hot summer, what would it be if you spend all day long in your home without any cooling device?
Well, I am sure that most the people cannot bear the hot temperature.
That is exactly why you need an attic fan to help move air outdoor, it also protects your furniture and wall from being damaged by moist air.
How to choose attic fans and is it necessary to get them at home?
If you have trouble with it, please go on reading our best attic fans reviews to get answers.
What Are Attic Fans?
Attic fans are one certain device to regulate the heat level of a building or house by exhausting hot air, they are also known as ventilation fans.
For some kinds of attic fans, it has a manual switch to control it on and off. However, the attic fans are normally installed high on the roof or gable, thus most types now choose an automatic thermostat, which turns on and off automatically.
An attic fan can be gable mounted or roof mounted based on your different needs. Used normally in hot weather, it cools down and exchanges indoor air effectively.
With a fan installed on the attic for different purposes of cooling down the whole house, it exhausts hot air effectively and quickly, which is known to be whole house attic fans.
Factors To Consider When Choosing Best Attic Fans
There are a number of factors that need to be considered before you even begin to look into which fan is right for your application.
Size
Some of these factors include the size of your attic, the typical weather in your area, whether or not you are interested in going green, and how many operating hours you would like to get out of the fan.
Price
If you live in an area that is hot year round, you need to get a fan that has an extremely long lifespan, which will cost you more initially, but saves your money in the long run.
However, if it gets super hot in just a couple of months out of the year and usually cools significantly in the evening, you can probably afford to go with a less expensive model.
Of course, you can still opt to purchase a higher-end model to get the benefits of longevity.
Power and size
When it comes to the power and size of the fan that clearly depends on the size of your attic. If it is relatively small, you will be able to suffice with a small fan, but larger attics may need an industrial-sized fan or possibly even two fans.
This is again at your discretion and depends on how much you are looking to spend and what you expect the results to be.
Installation
Hiring a professional to help pick one for your needs may be your best bet. This is especially true if you do not have experience in carpentry and electrical wiring.
To be sure that the job is done right and safely a professional is almost always the best route to go. It may cost more, but the security of knowing that your family is safe is clearly a higher priority.
What Attic Fan Do I Need?
Choosing the best attic fan saves much time and energy for you, it helps cool down your house and also fastens the circulation of indoor air.
1. Determine installation types I need
Two common installation types of attic fans include gable types and roof-mounted types.
Gable attic fans are normally used in the garage, RV, or greenhouse, installed in the gable. Be sure to keep it away from prevailing winds.
Roof-mounted attic fans are the most common types, used mainly on the roof of the house, helps to push out heat and pull in fresh outdoor air.
Attic Fan Gable vs Roof Mount
| Gable attic fan | Roof-mounted attic fan | |
| Cooling capacity | Large | Small |
| Energy efficiency | Small | Large |
| Installation difficulty | Difficult | Easy |
Actually, the difference between a gable attic fan and a roof-mounted attic fan is in their installation method. If intended for using it in a garage or greenhouse, then you can choose a gable attic fan. For daily home use, install it on your roof can be a perfect choice.
2. Think what size attic fan do I need
To determine the size of your attic fan, you can multiply the width by the length of the attic floor in feet.
For example,
20′ wide by 50′Â long attic: 20 x 50’=1,000 sq. ft. attic space
The next thing you need to do is to calculate the vent fan size that you need, just multiply the square feet of attic space by 0.7, in this way you get a minimum number of cubic feet of air per minute.
For example,
1,000 sq. ft. attic x 0.7 = 700 CFM minimum fan rating
3.Determine using application
If you try to use it for whole-house cooling, then you need to find a whole house attic fan.
4.Whether I want a solar-type
Solar attic fans are some kinds of ventilation device, it adopts sunlight as the main power to operate ceiling fans. A solar panel is used to accumulate heat.
How Attic Fans Works?
How About Picking Solar Attic Fan?
What Is Solar Attic Fan?
Solar attic fans, suggested by their names, powered mainly by solar power. It can be installed either on the device or installed independently.
In hot weather, the sun bakes on the roof surface and thus accumulates a large amount of heat on the roof, serving as the main power for attic fans.
Like electric attic fans, there are also two mounting types you can choose, one is for gable mounted, while the other being roof mounted.
-Roof-mounted solar attic fans
Installing solar attic fans on the roof, especially when installing near the peak, sunlight heats up the heating materials on the roof, forcing hot air out and also pulling into fresh new air.
It keeps roof space and also indoor from being too high on temperature.
Roof-mounted solar attic fans not only save many costs on installing and cooling but also extend the life of shingle roofs.
-Gable mounted solar attic fans
Gable mounted attic fans are quite the same as roof-mounted types but differ in installation place.
As the name suggests, gable mounted attic fans need to be installed in the gable, inside the attic, and behind the existing louvered gable vents. They are frequently installed in a garage, RV or greenhouse, to push out heat and moisture air.
What Are the Benefits and Drawbacks of Solar Attic Fans?
- This can save your money on your energy bill as well as taking away the need to install power into your attic.
- They are of course more expensive initially, but the benefit of not paying for it to run and the fact that it reduces your carbon footprint may be a good reason for you to consider this option.
- If you live in the northern areas where the hot weather only lasts a few months, then the solar option may not be your best choice. The costs saved on your energy are likely to take longer than the life of the fan to pay off.
- Additionally, there is always the risk that the sun is not present regularly enough to power the fan. This, of course, depends on the region and is at your discretion.
Is Attic Fan Worth It?
Best Attic Fans Reviewed
Best Under $60: Cool Attic CX1500UPS Power Gable Ventilator Fan
- 1,300 CFM rating at 0.03 static pressure when used with model No. CX2121 automatic shutter
- 14-inch fan with 600-square-inch intake
Best Quiet: Broan 353 Gable Mount 120-Volt Powered Attic Ventilator
- 22 gage galvanized steel housing with ribs for added strength with mounting brackets that simplify installation
- Operates automatically – adjustable thermostat built-in with thermally protected permanently lubricated motor
Best Solar Powered: 12-Watt Solar Attic Fan with 25-year Warranty
- 12-Watt model rated up to 893 CFM for areas up to 1260 Sq. Ft.
- Designed for use on Pitched Roofs with Asphalt/Fiberglass Shingles.
- No wiring necessary – Adjustable Solar panel – Assembled and Ready to install.
Best Heavy Duty: 24-watt-Solar Attic Fan
- Highest quality materials in any Solar Attic Fan on the market
- Optional snap-on thermostat for use in colder climates
- No wiring required. All necessary installation hardware included
Best For Effective Ventilation: 36-watt –Solar Attic Fan-DC motor built in the USA
- Solar Attic Fans mount on 3/12 to 12/12 pitch roofs. (this unit not for flat roofs or sidewall mounting)
- Moves up to 1628 cubic feet per minute. Use one attic ventilation fan for every 2625 square feet of attic space
- Optional thermostats and fire safety switches sold separately
Best For Money Saving: 24″ Whole House Fan 54301 Attic & Whole House Fans
You now have a basic idea of what you will need to consider when looking into purchasing fan units for your attic. The options are great, but with time and diligence, you will be able to make a smart choice that will save you money in the future.
Best with Small Shape: NuTone 8210 8-Inch Vertical Discharge and 7-Inch Round Duct Ceiling Fan
- Motor assembly offers a fast, easy “twist-lock” feature to make for a quick installation
- Adjustable mounting brackets span from 14 to 24-Inch O.C. joist spacing to fit most wall or ceiling construction and makes installation easier
Best For Gable Mounted: Air Vent Inc. Gable Attic Ventilator 53315 Attic And Whole House Fan
- 1050 CFM 1/12 HP, 180W 3.2 amps
- 14″ fan blade
- For 1500 sq. ft. max
Best Roof Mounted Attic Fan: AIR VENT 53827 Roof Mounted Power Attic Ventilator
- 25 inch diameter metal dome
- Ventilates up to 1650 soft
- Adjustable thermostat from 60 to 120 degrees
- 4-1/2 inch diameter opening
Best For Ventilation: Iliving 12 Inch Variable Speed Shutter Exhaust Fan, Wall-Mounted
- 12 inch variable speed shutter exhaust fan
- Corrosion-resistant with OSHA compliant wire guards
- 120 Volts,1/20 HP,0.55 amp
- Variable speed functionality
Best Solar Attic Fan:Â 36-watt – Black – with 25-year Warranty – Florida Rated by Natural Light
- 36-watt solar panel
- Moves up to 1628 cubic feet per minute
- Mount on 3/12 to 12/12 pitch roofs
Best Adjustable: GBGS Solar Attic Fan 1750 CFM Polycrystalline Solar Panel
- Ventilates up to 1750 CFM
- Adjustable solar panel (0°/15°/30°/45°)
- Quite brushless motor
Attic Fan vs Whole House Fan
| Attic fans | Whole house fan | |
| Location | In attic | In-ceiling of home |
| Installation difficulty | Easy | Difficult |
| Cost | Less expensive | Expensive |
| Energy efficiency | Lower | Higher |
| Noise | Low | Loud |
You can also get detailed information through our attic fan vs whole house fan review.
Solar Attic Fan vs Electric
| Solar attic fan | Electric attic fan | |
| Price | More expensive | Less expensive |
| Power | Less powerful | More powerful |
| Installation difficulty | Difficult | Easy |
| Using costs | Lower | Higher |
If you intend to get more detailed information on the comparison between the two types, please read our review on solar attic fan vs electric type.
Attic Fan Installation Cost
Once searching on Amazon, you will find that attic fan units price range from $80 to $400, based on their performance and quality level. However, in terms of attic fan costs, the most frequent concern is about installation costs, adds on costs, and also using costs.
The installation cost is also diverse for installation place,
Roof-mounted attic fan — $80-$500
Some factors such as size and airflow affect installation cost a lot, though being a bit more expensive than gable types, but the installation difficulty is quite easy.
Gable attic fan — $80-$300
If there are existing gable vents, then installing them can be quite easy, and thus the installation costs are reduced to a large extent. As it is equipped with a vertical vent, it is less likely to leak.
On most occasions, gable attic fans are made large enough for a larger cooling capacity.
Solar attic fan —$200-$500
The reason for high costs of installing a solar attic fan is for its solar panel, which is used to accumulate heat and serves as the main power for fans.
It produces no carbon dioxide or other negative pressure like an electric attic fan does.